Explainer | The number of Freeview channels that are available to you varies considerably based on your location. This month, Channel 4 took steps to make 4seven universally available on Freeview. Most services aren’t available to all.
- One in ten homes can’t receive the full Freeview service.
- Freeview successor Freely can’t yet bridge the gap.
- The divide now doesn’t just cover TV channels but also access to streaming services.
There are just over 90 transmitters that carry the full national Freeview service, made up of six “multiplexes” – or bundles of channels. These transmitters serve around 90% of households.
But that still leaves one in ten homes out of full coverage. Bridging the coverage gap, extra masts carry the signal of the main channels, including BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and 5.
To reach as many of the remaining homes as possible, a network of over 1,000 additional relay transmitters is maintained across the country. Some only serve a few hundred homes. These relays only re-broadcast a small number of channels. These limited-service relays cover homes in the Isle of Man and Channel Islands as well as remote areas of the UK, plus some towns and cities in England, Scotland and Wales where local topography or tall structures limit reception of TV services.
In total, just over 98.5% of homes can receive all the main channels. This figure is defined as universal coverage for the purposes of Freeview. In some more recent documents from Ofcom and DCMS, this figure is rounded up and referred to as “nearly 99%”. The remaining homes have to use an alternative method to receive TV, mostly satellite.
The cost of so many extra transmitter sites to reach less than 10% of homes means it’s not commercially viable to extend coverage of all channels to all areas. Changes to the Freeview service in the late 2010s to make way for 4G/5G mobile networks meant the number of full Freeview transmitters needed to maintain 90% household coverage had to increase from around 80 to just over 90. In view of recent changes to viewing habits, that’s not likely to increase at all.
More channels in more areas
Since the completion of digital switchover in 2012, ITV and Channel 4 have gradually been able to make more of their channels available to all Freeview viewers. This has included ITV4, ITVBe (replaced by ITV Quiz) and E4+1. Since 18 June 2025, 4seven is also among them.
Through technological advancements and configuration changes, both broadcasters have been able to add these smaller channels to the signal that carries their main channels. In the process, they’ve been able to boost coverage from around 90% to 98.5% of homes.
That’s great news for viewers living in areas where there are still limited alternatives for receiving broadcast TV signals. These include locations where the installation of a satellite dish is restricted or where affordable high speed broadband services aren’t yet available.
In addition to Freeview viewers, the difference between universal and limited coverage channels also impacts Freely TV users. That’s because reception of some channels on Freely is still dependent on Freeview coverage.
Which Freeview channels have universal coverage?
The following services are broadcast from every transmitter including every relay site. They are broadcast via one of three multiplexes (bundles of channels).
| PSB1 (BBC) | PSB2 (D3&4) | PSB3 (BBC)^ |
|---|---|---|
| BBC One | ITV1* | BBC One HD^ |
| BBC Two | ITV1+1 | BBC Two HD^ |
| BBC Three | ITV2 | ITV1 HD^~ |
| BBC Four | ITV3 | Channel 4 HD^ |
| BBC News | ITV4 | 5 HD^ |
| BBC Parliament | ITV Quiz | BBC Three HD^/^^ |
| CBBC | Channel 4 | BBC Four HD^ |
| CBeebies | Channel 4+1 | CBBC^ |
| BBC RB1 | Film4 | CBeebies HD^ |
| BBC Scotland (Scotland only) | More 4 | S4C HD (Wales only) |
| BBC Alba (Scotland only) | E4 | BBC Scotland (Scotland only) |
| BBC Radio stations | E4+1** | U&Eden^ |
| 4seven (Since 18/06/25) | LEGEND XTRA^ | |
| 5 | TBN^ | |
| S4C (Wales only) | 5Select^ | |
| That’s TV 3 *** | ||
| Freeview Info channel (100) | ||
| Accessible TV Guide (555) |
If you’re permanently missing some or all of any of the above channels on Freeview, this suggests an issue with your receiver or aerial equipment. You may wish to consult a local aerial installer.
What about all the other channels not listed above?
All other Freeview channels have less coverage. They broadcast on one of the three commercial multiplexes (bundles of channels) that reach around 90% of UK households via an aerial.
This means channels like Sky News, Challenge, Quest, U&Dave, GREAT! movies and Talking Pictures aren’t available via Freeview in around one in ten homes.
Some services have even lower coverage
Since 2013, local TV channels operate in parts of the UK. These services only reach around 2/3rds of UK homes. Alongside local TV, a number of hybrid streaming channels are only available in certain locations.
Services limited to specific parts of the UK
Viewers in parts of Northern Ireland and Manchester have access to a small number of extra services that are restricted to their area. In Northern Ireland, this includes a relay of Irish TV services, including TG4, in addition to overspill reception from the Republic. In Manchester, That’s TV rebroadcast a number of their services. These extra services have ‘MCR’ added to the channel name.
Viewers in south-east Kent and the Channel Islands may also routinely receive French TV services, usually found beyond channel 800. However, these are not part of the Freeview service and are a result of signal overspill from France.
Freely doesn’t yet solve coverage issues
The public broadcasters behind Freely expect the service to become the streaming replacement for Freeview.
At the present time though, it still relies on the terrestrial TV (Freeview) signal and a TV aerial for the reception of some channels. These include Quest, GREAT! movies, Rewind TV and Challenge.
Ironically, the majority of universal coverage channels can be streamed on Freely, while many of those channels that aren’t universally available on Freeview can’t be streamed.
This means that if you switch to Freely and you live in an area with a limited number of Freeview channels, you’ll still miss out on quite a few smaller channels. The good news is that there’s been a slow uptake in channels joining Freely’s streaming service, so services like U&Dave, Reality Xtra and GB News can now be received without an aerial.
As highlighted by the recent closure of the Freeview relay serving rural Glespin in Scotland, many areas with a limited Freeview service also lack the internet connectivity required for Freely to take its place. The area served includes locations where fixed-line internet speeds are low. Meanwhile, mobile networks in the area only utilise limited bandwidth.
In these areas, what started as a coverage divide between Freeview channels is now also a divide between homes that can access streaming services and those that can’t. As the way we view TV changes, that has the potential to create a bigger issue than missing Freeview channels.
By: Marc Thornham